Disclaimer: Don't own any characters or scenes that are recognized in the following work. But oh how I wish I did!
A Very Riddick Christmas
Ah, Christmas in New Mecca; now that's a celebration. The streets lined with lights and decorations from a part of every culture in the universe. Even the old Earth cultures had some representation here. New Mecca has a way of being famously tolerant of just about every race and ethnicity — everyone was welcome. December was the month to celebrate and the month to be on Helion Prime and right in the center of New Mecca…where I lived.
The past year wasn't exactly an easy one as I had been plagued with nightmares from my short time and close escape from the hellish planet that was T2. 12 years old wasn't exactly the best age to witness several people die horrific deaths right in front of you, and it made sleeping in the dark a near impossibility. I did have one thing with me to get through my worst moments, my dark guardian angel, my knight in shiny black armor, infamous convict and well known killer — Richard B. Riddick. Every time I woke screaming from a nightmare drenched in a cold sweat, a reminder in and of itself of that wretched desert planet, I would feel his strong arms wrap around my wiry frame and see his uncovered mercurial eyes gaze down at me in half-hidden concern. After several minutes of basking in the warmth and sheer protection that was Riddick, I would drift back to sleep and wake the next morning well after he'd gone, leaving me in a much better and more stable condition than I had been found in. As was typical Riddick behavior, he never mentioned my nightmares or his nighttime visits to Imam, whose house we stayed in, or in front of me later. We actually spoke very rarely, aside from when he'd give me a couple pointers on my fighting skills when he'd discover me secretly practicing.
Such were our days through that first year in New Mecca; Imam always the mother hen and Riddick, the silent guardian. December finally came in our first year and with it my first New Mecc-ian Christmas. After hearing the stories from Imam, I was beyond excited to experience it, being that my other Christmases were…less than stellar. I had already gotten Imam's present, an antique Qur'an from the old Earth days; found it in an antique bookstore I frequented. Riddick's gift, however, was going to be quite a bit more difficult. What exactly do you get an escaped convict on the run from mercs and who knows what else? After searching all through New Mecca, trying to stay under the radar as much as possible, Riddick hardly ever left me alone, I finally found something that I deemed suitable, though it wasn't much, to be honest. It was a fairly intricate sterling silver set of lock picks that could easily be hidden in boots like the ones Riddick wears (not that I looked closely, of course), but to go one step further, I had the case engraved; "Freedom" was scrawled across the front and the back read, "Because you wouldn't leave me, Love Jack." I was a bit hesitant on adding that dreaded 4-letter word on there, but he could take it as he wished, I knew what I meant and how I really felt, and that's all that mattered.
Christmas morning dawned like any other morning in New Mecca, the weather never changed, always unbearably hot with the daylight and unimaginably cold during the night. I knew I had had another nightmare that night, and as always, Riddick was right there with me. I smiled at the memory as I jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, running my hands through my just about chin length hair to release the tangles and look half-way presentable before grabbing Riddick's and Imam's gifts and making my way downstairs. The tree that Imam had gotten for us, not a typical pine tree found in most Christmas celebrations, was a more hearty variety that was specially cross-bred and grown in New Mecca for the Christmas season. As I silently trotted down the stairs, still in the early hours of the morning, I was greeted by the soft multicolored glow of the lights covering our little tree. I placed my two presents under the tree alongside the ones that were already there and carefully walked to the kitchen for a good cup of hot chocolate — these desert planets can get pretty cold at night, and early morning wasn't much better. I brought my steaming mug back with me to the living room and smirked to myself as I realized I wasn't alone, I could feel him there.
Ignoring his presence for the time being, I folded myself into my favorite corner of the couch and watched the lights on the tree as they danced along with the flickering candles that Riddick must have lit when he came down. We sat in silence for quite some time before Riddick finally broke it by chucking a surprisingly neatly wrapped box onto my lap. I quirked an eyebrow in question but didn't say anything as I gently tossed him the present I got him, motioning for him to go first. As nervous as I was about what he would think, I couldn't help but smile as I watched him unwrap the box with uncharacteristic care and gently lift the lid to reveal the silver case of my gift to him. He read the inscriptions after discovering the lock picks inside, and then he did something that left me speechless and flushing a brilliant shade of cherry red — he walked over, lifted me off the couch, and hugged me more fiercely than I had ever felt before. He pulled away with a muttered "thanks kid" followed by a real (rare) genuine smile and told me it was my turn.
After I ripped the paper off, I became almost hesitant in lifting the lid, trying to figure out what "Big and Bad" could have possibly gotten 13 year old "tag-along-Jack" for Christmas. I could feel the nervous tension coming off of him, just as anxious as I was, as I finally opened the lid, and my face scrunched with immediate confusion. Two chain necklaces lay within the box, each with their own dog tag. I picked them up and read them both. The first said "Property of Richard B. Riddick," the second "Property of Jack;" but there was a little space left after my name. I looked up to find Riddick standing in front of me, already reaching for the tag that bore his name, but instead of placing it over his head, he put it over mine — marking me as his. He pulled out the chain with my name and placed it over his own head, then picked it up and read:
"Property of Jack, hmm, I don't know your last name, so I didn't put it on here, but you ever decide on one, I'll change it." I was astounded by Riddick's rare show of emotion and felt tears of joy and happiness well in my eyes.
Through the many years after that Christmas my dog tag became my source of strength and comfort. When Riddick left "to protect me" less than a year later, when mercs came after me anyway, and when I was drifting alone through the vastness of space, searching for the man whose name I wore.
*Some Years Later*
The door slid shut with a whispered whoosh as I turned towards the bed. Exhaustion creeping in on me from all sides, I collapsed on top of the sheets and scooted towards the waiting warmth and comfort of Riddick's arms.
"She ok?" He asked, sounding almost as exhausted as I felt.
"Yeah, just a little hungry, drank about half the bottle," I replied snuggling in, getting more comfortable as I turned towards him, our faces a few inches away.
"Well, she is your daughter, no wonder she's so demanding," he quipped, not up to his usual teasing par — lack of sleep. Newborns can do that to a person, even hardened criminals. I just chuckled and rolled my eyes as I picked up the dog tags he wore around his neck, one reading "Property of Jack Riddick," (it having been finally finished a couple years ago), the other simply read "Rian Riddick" with a date of about 5 weeks ago. I lifted my own tags; one bearing his name, and the other to match his — our daughter. Smiling at the memory of the Christmas I had received my favorite gift, I kissed my husband and drifted to sleep, content to be in the arms of my favorite protector.
A/N: I tried to put some kind of divider in here, but the website just absolutely refused to show it. I hope it's not too confusing. Hope you enjoyed my first foray into the Riddick category. Who knows, if this gets decent reception, maybe I'll do some more! R&R, I'd really appreciate it!